Thursday, June 9, 2016

Abolitionist Diary

The diary of  Philadelphia's William Still, an important figure in the Underground Railroad, is online at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's digital library.  Covering the years 1852-1857, this diary documents the names, physical characteristics, and other details of escaped slaves.  An  article from the Philly Voice talks about the history of the diary and about plans by the Historical Society to create a searchable database of the names mentioned in it.

Until then, researchers will have to search page by page. The best way to view the diary is to click on "zoom/more media" below the viewer.  Some pages are illegible, but other portions can be read as is, or with the help of your computer's magnifier (for Windows,  press the Windows logo key and the + or - signs to bring up the magnifier and  zoom in and out).
(source: ResearchBuzz)
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